Professor Prom
by samuraistar
Summary: Not really a prom, just a dance. The school dance is being held at the Candy Bar, and guess who don't have dates? Will this be the most romantic night of our heroes' lives, or will Prof.Calamitous ruin it for everyone? FINITO! that means DONE!
1. Finbar's Plot and Jimmy's Problem

(Oh, and something you should know: My stories aren't usually historically woven together; each one's just a different story. You finish one, you move on, etc. That is all.) I actually wrote this while in the middle of a writer's block for "Night in New Jersey." I thought it was really cute, and I hope you will, too! Loyal readers, please continue to grace me with your divine reviews (Gets smacked by Nanobot 1; "kiss up!"). (Bowing to audience as curtain opens.) Enjoy. (The italics are pretty much a really short prologue before the camera cut.)

**Chapter 1: Finbar's Plot and Jimmy's Problem**  
_ "Ah, ha, ha, ha, ha!" laughed the evil professor, "At last, I have captured hypnotism in this vinyl record! Now, all I need is an event where lots of people will be. Then I can play my record, and have an army of mind puppets at my command! Then I will finally defeat that incessant child, Jimmy Neutron! But where can I do it?"_

"Aw, man! Can you believe we're having a DANCE?" Sheen yelled, "Dances are the worst! You have to wear suits and flowers and dance with actual _girls_!" Carl protested.

"But Sheen," he quizzically said, "I heard you asking Libby to go with you! You said she was going to have the time of her life, and you were going to sweep her off her feet!" Then he giggled dreamily, "I thought it was kinda sweet, really."

"I NEVER SAID THAT!" Sheen pointed at Carl, then backed down dejectedly, "Okay, so I did. SO WHAT? At least I **have** a date. What about you, Jimmy? Are you gonna ask _Betty_?"

"I already did," he said glumly, "She's going with Nick."

"Turned you down flat, huh?" Sheen bluntly speculated.

"Sheen, don't tease him!" Carl chided.

"No, it's okay, guys," Jimmy said, "I'm sure I'll find a date eventually."

(Spongebob watchers, the following time will be told in the voice of the recurring French scuba diver that's on a lot.)

_(3:00 p.m.)_

"I can't believe I haven't found a date!" Jimmy panicked that afternoon as he walked home with Carl and Sheen.

"Did you even ask anyone?" Sheen asked.

"Well," he guiltily admitted, "no. See, I compiled a list of all the girls in our grade who are going. The ones that have already been asked are checked in red." Sheen and Carl scanned the list. Nearly every name was checked.

"Hey, here's one that's not checked," Sheen pointed and read, "'Cindy Vortex'? Jimmy, you missed one!"

"No, Sheen," Jimmy said stubbornly, "I am **_not_** asking her."

"But think of all you've been through together (even though we were there, too)," Sheen reminded him in a sweet, consoling voice, "defeating aliens with Tim Allen's voice, struggling to control radioactive superpowers, the precious years you've shared of bitter competition..."

Carl added, "...Yeah, and racing along a narrow ravine floor to escape the wicked Prince Humperdinck through the Fire Swamp of Guilder!" Sheen and Jimmy stopped and looked weirdly at him.

"Sorry," he apologized, "that was Westley and Buttercup from the Princess Bride, but it could happen!"

"Oooookay," Jimmy said, "but I'm still not asking her!"

**Author's Review:**  
Ha, ha! Another cliffhanger! I hope you liked that movie reference, 'cause I put one in each chapter for humor purposes. Humor and romance are pretty much the main genres of this story. Professor Calamitous will put up a bit of a fight, but only a bit, especially since this is a kid's cartoon where the villains are pretty stupid anyway. So it all works out:) Okay, so these chapters might be a little short, but I say this every time: This is the best I can do, AND this is the way I wanted it arranged, but do please review, y'all! ;)


	2. Girl Talk and Caving In

**Important Author's Note: **Until someone tells me that we _are_ allowed to reply to our reviewers, I'm not taking any chances. I'd like my readers to know that I read all your reviews, and I liked them very much. I heard somewhere that we're not allowed to reply to reviewers, so until that theory is either discredited or changed, I will not be replying...yet.

As promised, this chapter is a little longer. ;) Enjoy.

**Chapter 2: Girl Talk and Caving In**  
Cindy flopped on her bed in a huff.

"I can't believe this, Libby!" she complained, "This is ridiculous!"

"Oh, I _know_, girl!" Libby said, standing at the mirror with two dresses in hand, "It's so hard to pick from so many dresses! What do you think? Navy blue with gloves, or sparkly gold without?"

"Hel**_lo_**!" her friend said, "I'm talking about me being dateless!" Then she saw the dresses and said, "Sparkly gold." Then she addressed her issue again.

"I am probably the only girl without a date! There's no one to ask me!"

Libby looked at her with her eyebrow raised suspiciously.

"Uh, FYI," she said, "There is one guy without a date, you know."

"Who?" Cindy demanded, sitting up. Libby turned to the full-length mirror and put her sparkly gold dress against herself.

"According to Sheen," she answered, "Jimmy doesn't have a date, either."

"So what?" Cindy said, "Who'd want to go with him, anyway?" Libby turned to her and gave her another sarcastic look that basically said, "Uh, _you_ would!"

"_Oh_, no!" the blonde said, "The **last** boy I'd want to be seen with is that idiot, Neutron! Forget it!"

"Oh, **come on!**" Libby was getting exasperated, "I know the truth, Cindy! I'm your best friend; I _should_ know."

"What are you talking about?" Cindy asked.

"Don't try to hide it, girl," she said, "I know all about it: The years of bitter competition, getting in a fight with April the Gorlock, being jealous of Betty Quinlin, agreeing to be his Valentine in the first place, not to mention going with him to the virtual world _with a buttload of firearms!_" Cindy looked at her with a weird face.

"No, wait," Libby corrected herself, "That was Neo and Trinity in _The Matrix_...The point is, you've got it bad for the boy, Cindy! And if he calls, you know you'll just end up accepting and jumping on your bed, hugging your phone, and squealing like a ninny."

"Don't be ridiculous, Libby," Cindy said, "I'm sure that a young lady of my maturity and intelligence can retain her composure after being asked out." Then her phone rang. Both girls froze.

"You were saying?" Libby smirked. Cindy picked up the phone.

"Hello?" she asked normally.

"Cindy?" Jimmy's voice said, "Hey. It's Jimmy."

"What do you want, Neutron?" she asked with the standard malice.

"Well, I was wondering if you had a date for the dance yet." Cindy was at a two-second loss for words before she answered no.

"Oh," he said, "Well, do you think you'd want to go...with me?"

Now Cindy was stunned. Go? With Jimmy? Her? Cindy?

"Cindy?" he asked.

"Yeah!" she came to her senses, "Sure, I-I'd love to."

"Great!" Jimmy said, "I'll pick you up at a quarter to 8?"

"Sure!" she said, "That'll be great." Then they agreed on flowers for their corsage/boutonniere (carnations) and Cindy hung up, flustered.

"Looks like you've got a date," Libby grinned. Cindy composed herself and turned to her.

"Yes," she said proudly, "and I handled it in a mature and intelligent manner."

"Riiiight," Libby said sarcastically, "Look, I'm gonna go in the bathroom and try this on, okay?" She left the room, and Cindy jumped her bed hugging her phone and squealed, "He asked me out! He asked me out! I'm going with Jimmy!"

"A**HA**!" Libby popped back in, "I **knew** it! I _knew you were in love with him!_" Then she danced around in the happy, gloaty dance of I-Told-You-So.

"_You can't stop the love!"_ she sang, "_Your momma can't stop the love! Ah-ah-ah-ah, your brother can't stop the love! Raise the roof and shake yo' boot-tay!"_

"Are you done yet?" Cindy asked drily.

"30 more seconds!" replied Libby, "_Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Stayin' Alive! Stayin' Alive! Won't you take me to (dah-dah!) Funkytown! (Dah-dah!) Won't you take me to...Funkytown!"_

"All right, Dancing Queen," Cindy pushed her, "Go be a disco diva while you try your dress on!" Cindy closed the door and leaned against it. When she was sure Libby was in the bathroom, she danced across her room singing "You and me and a Sport Utility Vehicle..." (for all you Veggie Tales fans out there!)

Once she got over that, she picked around the pile of dresses Libby had either brought from home or picked from Cindy's closet and chose a white one with a few layers of petticoat underneath—almost enough to call a hoopskirt without being too hoopy. It had pink puffy sleeves (like Deb's dress from _Napoleon Dynamite_.). The carnation corsage would match all too well. She tried it on and modeled in front of her mirror. It fit perfectly. Then Libby came back in.

"What do you think, girl?" she asked. She had on the slimming sparkly gold with a slit halfway up her right shin and one strap over her left shoulder. And she wanted to know how she **_looked?_**

"Libby!" Cindy said, "You look _stunning!_ Sheen's going to stop dead in his tracks! Either that, or he'll babble like an idiot for 10 minutes."

"Or both," Libby giggled, "Hey, I like that one, Cindy! You look beautiful!"

"You sure?" she turned around, "You don't think it's too much or too little?" Libby joined her at the mirror.

"Cindy, she said, "trust me. You're drop-dead gorgeous. And tomorrow night, Jimmy's going to think the same thing." Cindy smiled. Did she need any more reason to love Libby?

**Author's Review:**  
Boy, Cindy sure changed _her_ tune! LOL! What do y'all think? Is Libby a hot tamale or WHAT? XD


	3. On the Other Side of the Street

I'm not sure I have that much to say, so...Thanks for all your reviews, everybody! (ReddistheRose, you've been as loyal to me as I've been to you! I love you!) Here we go! (Now it's Jimmy's turn to do the Happy Dance!)

**Chapter 3: On the Other Side of the Street**  
Meanwhile, in his own house, Jimmy had just hung up his phone.

"You just **had** to put 'Ask Cindy' on the options, didn't you?" he said to Goddard, who gave the "Come on, give me a break!" whine. Jimmy petted him.

"It's okay, Goddard," he said, standing (then jumping) on his bed, "Because I have a date! Woo-hoo! (singing) I'm taking Cindy to the dance! I'm taking Cindy to the dance!" He paused, embarrassed.

"Right," he jumped down, "Let's go work on that tux." They went downstairs and Judy called to him, "Jimmy! Did you find a nice girl to ask to the dance?"

"Yes I did, Mom," he answered proudly.

"Ooh!" Mom said, "How wonderful! What's her name?" Hugh walked in just then and said, "I'll bet it's that little Cindy Vortex across the street, isn't it?"

"How did _you_ know?" Jimmy asked. Hugh knelt next to his son.

"Well, Jim-Jam, there are some things parents just know," he answered, "like how to balance a check book, or whittle a duck, or travel through time in a car!" Judy and Jimmy looked freaked out at him.

"Wait a minute," he said, "That was Michael J. Fox from _Back To The Future_...See ya!" And he walked off to do nothing.

"Well, now!" Judy perked up, "Let's go get your suit pressed!"

While Mom ironed his tux, she coached him on how to behave on a date. Jimmy's a genius, so he already knew all this; however, he appreciated that his mother cared enough to tell him anyway. So he patiently listened to her until she was done and his tux was ready. Then they went to the florist and bought Cindy's corsage.

As Goddard lay down next to him that night, memories of their island adventure came back to Jimmy. How long had it been since that happened? A week? Two weeks? Did she even remember by now how they'd made each other feel that day? Did she still have the pearl he gave her? Why did he care?

'_You're the genius,'_ his inner thoughts told him, '_you tell me.'_

'We'll make a rain check,' Jimmy dissed his inner thoughts and turned on his right. The last thing that went through his head were his inner thoughts making a last retort before he crossed the delta waves of the brain to sleep: _'You can't hide what's inside!'_

**Author's Review:**  
Boy, Hugh sure nailed THAT on the head! LOL! His inner thoughts are conspiring against him! Okay, so this was kinda short, and the whole "island thing" was a little random, but it pays off later on, I promise. Stay tuned! FAIRIES!


	4. Lord of the Dance and Toilet

O.O' Boy, Twin-Lupus, you sure are making good on that reviewing rampage! LOL! Thanks a ton! And cuteforthecause, I love your reviews, too! I love y'all! Enjoy and review! (Here comes the fluff! J/C FOREVER! And watch for movie lines; there's not much action in this one, but a WORLD of humor! Hey-hey! And some of these songs are based on ones I have actually danced to at church youth dances! If you know them, review and tell me! They're fun!)

**Chapter 4: Lord of the Dance and Toilet**  
The next evening at 7:45, Jimmy walked up to Cindy's door, the others waiting in the hovercar. Sheen could hardly take his eyes off of Libby, and Libby was watching Jimmy to see his reaction to how Cindy would look. Jimmy took a deep breath and rang the doorbell. Mrs. Vortex answered the door and smiled.

"Ah, James," she said, then called behind her, "Cynthia, James and your friends are here!" A slightly panicked commotion was heard overhead and soon Cindy appeared in the doorway. Jimmy felt his heart stop. Cindy was wearing the white, slightly hoopy dress with pink, poofy sleeves and a pink satin choker with a gold heart charm. But what really surprised Jimmy was what she'd done with her hair! It started out with her regular ponytail separated into three buns high on the back of her head, completed with a braid encircling her whole head and a corkscrew curl on each side of her face. He'd seen make-up on her before, and the dress was a nice change, but her hair was breathtaking! (I mean, come on; how many hairstyles have we seen on her?) Overall, though, the same word pounded its way into Jimmy's head: _Beautiful._

"Put your eyes back in your head and just give her the flower, already!" Libby yelled from the hovercar, "You can stare at her when we get to the dance!" At this, Jimmy recovered his senses, slipped the pink carnation on Cindy's left wrist, quickly grabbed her hand, and led her to the hovercar.

"I like your sleeves, Cindy," Carl said, "They're real big."

_ "Girl!"_ Libby gasped as they took off, "What'd you do with your _hair?_ It's _gorgeous!_" Libby had put sparkly white butterfly clips in her hair and had a purple corsage of the Arlupitan Flower of Healing from Ultra Lord episode 84, "Ultra Lord Saves the Bumgorfs." At least, that's what Sheen had told her. It was an orchid, Jimmy had said.

After Libby was done raving about Cindy's hair, Cindy faced forward in the passenger's seat.

"She's right, you know," Jimmy said meekly, "Your hair _is_ really nice." Cindy looked at her lap and twirled a corkscrew lock, smiling.

"Thank you," she said quietly, "Carl's right about my sleeves, too. They are pretty big, aren't they?" She couldn't have said a stupider thing is what she thought.

"Yeah," Jimmy agreed with a smile, "but I like them, too." He thought _he_ couldn't have a stupider thing.

For a minute, Cindy didn't say anything. Then she softly said, "Thank you."

_ (Camera cut to the Candy Bar)_

"Hello, children!" Principal Willoughby greeted in his usual sing-song voice, "Welcome to our first school dance ever held at the Candy Bar! (Applause) I hope you'll forgive our DJ for being late; he's gone to stop the police from arresting his daughter's fiancee." Surprised murmuring was going around when Miss Fowl whispered into Principal Willoughby's ear. He then addressed the crowd again.

"Sorry, folks," he apologized, "That was Robert de Niro from 'Meet The Fockers.' Our DJ, I have just been informed, has been standing behind me the whole time I was standing here...That is all. Let's party!"

"And you kids had better not screw up my floor!" Sam grabbed the microphone, "I just polished the dang thing with turtle wax, yeah!"

The DJ started off the dance with the Cotton-Eyed Joe Remix (don't ask which), and some of the kids could be seen doing a line dance that involved jumping, kicking, and making the lasso motion over their heads. (It's true! I've done this before!) A few girls were actually dancing with their shoes off!

"Hey! The Cotton-Eyed Joe Remix!" Sheen piped as he grabbed Libby's hand, "I'm **all** over _this_ one! Come on, Libby!"

"Dancing's not exactly my forte," Carl said, "but I'll bet that Flurp punch is good! Hey, Sam! Hit me!" This left Jimmy alone...with Cindy.

"Personally, I think he's just shy," Jimmy said about Carl, "I taught him to dance with an experiment once, and I'm pretty sure he remembered it."

"You didn't happen to use it on yourself, did you?" Cindy asked with the faintest hint of sarcasm.

"Only one way to find out," he offered his hand. She grinned at him and went with him to the floor where they blended in with the Cotton-Eyed Joe dance. After that, they all learned and almost mastered the Cha-Cha Slide (I've done that one, too! BOO-YA!) Jimmy and Cindy were dancing together for the first few lines of "The Middle" (by Jimmy-Eat-World) when they noticed a thick circle of their peers chanting. Wondering what was going on, the two went over and scooted through the thicket of spectators to find Sheen **break-dancing!** It turned out all the kids were chanting, "Go, Sheen! Go, Sheen!" in time with the song. The two were speechless and open-mouthed.

"Hey, guys!" he said while doing the worm, "What's up?"

"Apparently, _you_!" Cindy said, her mouth gaping. Jimmy said in shock, "Sheen, where did you learn that?"

Still dancing, Sheen asked, "You guys ever seen Napoleon Dynamite?"

"Yeah," they both answered.

"Well," Sheen said, still grooving for his temporary fans, "I picked up some moves from him, plus I watched that 'Darrin's Dance Grooves' video. He's one cool dude!" Across the circle, Cindy saw Libby in all smiles. She knew what she was thinking: _I **knew** he wasn't just a hyperactive Ultra Lord fan! He can dance!_

"I am **lord of the dance!**" Sheen shouted as he broke into an Irish river gig, "Bow to your lord!" Libby joined him in the Irish dance, since Cindy had once pushed her almost beyond her limits to dance perfectly once (river stomp, anyone?). Jimmy and Cindy decided to leave 'the lord of the dance' with his lady and joined Carl at the counter with the raised seats.

"Hey, Carl!" Jimmy sat on his left (that's facing the counter).

"Oh hey, Jimmy!" Carl greeted them, "Are you guys having a killer time?"

"Heck, _yes_!" Cindy said enthusiastically, "I can't re**mem**ber having so much fun! Hit me, Sam! I'm a thirsty girl!" As Sam ladled Flurp into her waiting cup, Jimmy asked Carl, "Carl, haven't you danced at all?"

"A couple of times," Carl admitted, "but you know how I get around most girls." As they all took a swig of Flurp, Sheen and Libby came up to them.

"Well," Cindy said as Libby sat next to her, "if it isn't the lord and lady of the dance. Had enough?"

"Nowhere _near_ it!" Sheen said, "I just need to refill my hyperactivity tanks! HEY, SAM! HOOK ME UP, WILL YA?"

"Well, we're going to visit the ladies room," Cindy said after Libby'd had a good draught, "**if** you'll excuse us, gentlemen."

Sheen scoffed.

"What is it with girls?" he said when they'd left, "They go everywhere in tribes and half the time, they don't even use the bathroom. They just powder their noses like they'd come apart without it." Sheen and Jimmy, after laughing, looked at Carl, who had a powder compact in one hand and a powder puff in the other. They looked disturbed at him.

"What?" he turned away, _"I don't have a problem!"_ Then the Three Amigops realized they had to go, too.

**Author's Review:**  
Like I said, this chapter is mostly the dance getting underway, and the kids having their fun before the conflict comes in. Anyone recognize the Napoleon Dynamite lines? XD I had so much fun doing this chapter, especially since I've danced to the Cotton-Eyed-Joe song AND the Cha-Cha Slide! (Take it back now, y'all!) Whoo! One hop this time! .o...Okay, getting back to reality...What did y'all think? Who likes Cindy's hair? I know I do! L8R!


	5. Mind Puppets

Boy, y'all sure gave some enthusiastic reviews! LOL! CindyNeutron3, I know what I rock like? Ha, ha! Where did you get that? Or did you make that up? I'm glad y'all liked the last chapter so much! Cutterforthecause, that sounds like a weird wedding, but hey! My friend once went to one where they were playing that song that goes "I like big butts and I cannot lie." Now _that's_ a weird wedding! And now, ladies and gents, on with the show! (This is where Prof. Calamitous comes in.)

**Chapter 5: Mind Puppets**  
While the five 11-year-olds were in the restrooms, the DJ (make up your own description!) pulled out a vinyl record and played it. A sounding whir emitted from it like a spinning top. Almost instantly, all dancers were under a hypnotic trance and faced the DJ as he laughed evilly.

"Now you are all my mind puppets!" said Professor Calamitous as he opened his human robot suit, "And now that I have you under my control, you will attack whomever I tell you to!"

Right on cue, the five children were returning from their respective bathrooms. They stopped short when they not only saw everyone looking at them like zombies, but Professor Calamitous as well!

_"Get them!"_ Prof. C commanded.

"RUN FOR IT!" Jimmy screamed. They kids panicked and ran outside, their schoolmates at their heels.

"What's going on, Jimmy?" Carl asked as they hid behind the Candy Bar.

"From the looks of it," Jimmy said, "Professor Calamitous has put everyone under a hypnotic trance to destroy us!" (Gee, he nailed **that** on the head!)

"Man, how do you **know** all this stuff?" Sheen asked as he and the girls caught up.

"Because," Libby said sarcastically, "it was **_obvious?_**"

"What do we do, Jimmy?" Carl asked, frightened.

"I'm not sure yet," Jimmy answered, "I have to think." Before he could, though, some kids found them and caught them in an iron grip.

"We found them, master." They brought Jimmy and his friends to Professor Calamitous, who was still standing in the bottom half of his DJ robot disguise (he seems to think height makes him more menacing). He had the record-playing machine in his lap, the record still going.

"Professor Calamitous," Jimmy glared at his bald foe, "Out to get us again, I see!"

"I told you I'd get back to you on the details, didn't I?" said the diminutive man menacingly, "And with your peers under my control, and you five in my clutches, I shall wreak _my vengeance for you turning my wife against me!_" As he laughed, Jimmy and company got their unique "Huh?" expressions (the ones that make us laugh so much!).

"We've never met your wife!" Cindy shouted. Prof. Calamitous stopped in mid-laugh.

"Oh, you're right," he touched his chin, "That was Anakin Skywalker from Star Wars...Oh, which one was it?"

"Revenge of the Sith?" Libby spoke up. The others turned their heads toward her (the hypnotized kids were holding them up by their arms pinned to their sides) with looks on their faces ranging from surprise to utter shock!

"What?" Libby said, "I like the girls' outfits."

"Whatever," the professor said, "Now then, my mind puppets—"

"HIYA!" Cindy broke out of her captor's grip with a karate move and kicked him down. Libby took this as a signal and flipped backwards over her holder and kicked her in the back. Once they freed the boys, Jimmy led the way to the hovercar. They quickly clambered in, and Jimmy flew it in the direction of his house.

**Author's Review:**  
Okay, so this one was a little shorter, but I thought it was cute anyway! What do y'all think? Funny? Not? Let's do the Cha-Cha Slide! (Take it back now, y'all!)


	6. Think, Think, THINK!

Erm...We'll just move on.

**Chapter 6: Think, Think, THINK!**  
Jimmy, Cindy, Libby, Carl, and Sheen burst into the house.

"Mom!" Jimmy cried, "Emergency Alpha-Niner-Delta!"

Judy gasped and said, "Alpha-Niner-Delta? An army of mind zombies is after you and your friends?" (Gee, she nailed _that_ on the head, too!) She then opened the utility closet and pushed a yellow button. None too soon, a green dome shield appeared around their house, yard, (including Jimmy's lab) _and_ their part of the sidewalk!

By the time she'd done this, the kids had trooped upstairs and into Jimmy's room, where Goddard was lying on the bed, awaiting his master's return. When Jimmy and the kids came in, Goddard barked joyfully and ran to him.

"Good to see you too, Goddard," Jimmy petted him, "but the dance isn't over yet."

"So hurry up and do a brain blast, already!" Libby said, whose feet were starting to hurt (she seems to be the supreme authority on his brain blasts, doesn't she? Anyone ever notice that? It's either her or Cindy, but mostly Libby).

"Okay, okay!" Jimmy sat on his bed and leaned forward, saying, "Think, think...THINK..."

In his mind's eye, Professor Calamitous appeared in his robot-pants disguise. The camera closed in on the record player, then the record itself.

"Brain blast!" he said as he pointed upward in triumph, "Professor Calamitous is controlling them with a hypnotic signal he implanted in a record! Break the record, you break the trance!"

"So what do you want **us** to do?" Cindy asked.

"We're gonna lead everyone back to the dance," Jimmy explained, "While Goddard and I try to break the professor's record, you guys distract the kids so I can get to him. To the hovercar!"

When Judy dropped the dome shield, Jimmy and his friends plus Goddard took off.

"Nyah-nyah!" Sheen called in mocking sing-song, "You can't get us!"

"Do you seriously expect us to fight in our dresses?" Libby asked Jimmy.

"No," he answered, "just distract them."

"And just _how_ are we supposed to do _that_?" Cindy asked cynically.

"_You're_ the smartest girl in town," Jimmy said slightly irritably without meaning to, "Use your imagination." Cindy was shut up at this in more ways than one. _Smartest girl in town?_ The dark hid her blush, but Libby never misses a thing.

The hovercar landed at the Candy Bar as Professor Calamitous was leading his army in hot pursuit.

"All right, guys!" Jimmy said, "GO!" They all scattered. Cindy ran to a group of girls, notably including Betty Quinlin.

"Hey, ladies!" Cindy taunted, "Is that your hair, or did a family of rats take tap dancing lessons?" The girls ran after her. After rubbing her fist, Cindy socked Betty in the stomach and ran away laughing. She nearly ran into Libby, who, again, never misses a thing. After coming into eye contact with Libby's "eye of suspicion," Cindy giggled nervously and pulled Libby by the hand out of the way of a group that had been right behind her.

"Seriously, girl," Libby said as they ran, "_You need therapy_!"

"Seriously, girl," Cindy grinned evilly, "_I don't care!_"

Meanwhile, Sheen was attacking the Chess Club.

"Hey, guys!" he said, "Listen to me sing a Gwen Stefani song!" Then, horribly off-key, he sang, _"Few times I've been around that track, so it's not just gonna have been like that! 'Cause there ain't no hollaback, girrrl! There ain't no hollaback, girl!"_

As the Chess Club ran off screaming with Sheen chasing them to the first verse (_"I heard that you were talking, and you didn't think that I would HEAR IT!"_), Carl was whimpering against a tree as some kids slowly moved toward him, their hands outstretched.

"N-nice classmates," he said, "You don't want to eat your old pal Carl, do you? (Then he pointed somewhere.) Oh, no! Look! (They looked.) Someone's stealing the Declaration of Independence!" Like idiots, his attackers abandoned him. A squirrel leapt down the tree and cocked his head quizzically at Carl.

"Hee, hee!" he giggled, "I made it up, Mr. Squirrel. That was Ben Gates from National Treasure!"

While all this went on, Jimmy and Goddard chased the professor into the Candy Bar.

**Author's Review:**  
Ha, ha! Another cliffy! How did y'all like this one? Those of you who were wanting longer chapters, here ya go! (Peace sign) I hoped y'all liked this one! You'll LOVE the next one, I hope! (I know _Cindy_ will!) XD


	7. Forever Young

Thank you all for your wonderful reviews! And those of you who are choking me, LET GO! LOL! And sure, RR, you can use that Sheen line for a sig! (Though I'm not sure what for. Are you on a message board or something?) Anyway, this is the last chapter, BUT—there will be an extremely (as if this isn't) fluffy epilogue. This chappy's just the gear-up! Enjoy and review!

**Chapter 7: Forever Young**  
"Stop right there, professor!" Jimmy shouted, "That's as far as you go!" Finbar turned around in his bottom-half robot suit with the record player still going.

"The night's still young, Jimmy," he said, "and the party's _just getting started_!"

The professor's army streamed in through the doors and seized Jimmy.

"Goddard!" he yelled, "Get the record!" Goddard barked and flew above the crowd. He dove for the record, but a mind puppet threw Carl in his path, intercepting the dog and knocking them both down.

_"Lord of the dance,"_ Sheen battle-cried, "_Away_!" He jumped on the professor's robot suit behind him and yelled, "Hey, Chess Club! (singing) _Let me hear you say this—is bananas: B-A-N-A-N-A-S! This—(uh-oh!)—is bananas! B-A-N-A-N-A-S!_"

Having learned their lesson well the first time, the Chess Club ran at Sheen angrily to shut him up! While Finbar was screaming "Noooo!" at being charged, Sheen grabbed the record and jumped off just before they attacked Prof. Calamitous. Still in mid-air, Sheen yelled, "Jimmy! Heads up!" and flung it to him, where Goddard caught it by extending his neck. Jimmy and Goddard were standing on the counter.

_"My record!"_ Finbar cried from under the Chess Club.

"You're right, Calamitous," Jimmy said triumphantly, "the night _is_ young! But **your** party's over!" And Goddard chomped the record, shattering it in his teeth.

"**NOOOOOOOOOOO!**" Professor Calamitous yelled. Then he flew through the roof in his robot suit-thing, knocking the Chess Club off him. As everyone started coming out of the trance, Jimmy jumped down and ran for the door, joined by Carl and Sheen. Cindy pushed a girl off her, and she and Libby ran outside with the boys, who were looking up.

Professor Calamitous was hovering against a full moon.

"This isn't over, Jimmy!" he threatened at the top of his lungs, "You may have won this time, and you'll probably win next time, but I'll get you eventually!" He flew away. The kids turned around to hear Principal Willoughby address everyone again, inside.

"Oh, _here's_ our DJ, everyone!" he said, indicating a handsome, young man, "Seems the other one was an evil imposter! Where were you, sir?"

"Oh!" he said lightheartedly, "I was marauding a Colonial American town with pirates! (Crickets chirping) HA! Just kidding! That was Johnny Depp from _Pirates of the Caribbean._ (He put his DJ headphones on.) Let's tone things down a bit; looks like the party started without me."

A disco ball lowered; the lights turned a combination of blue, pink, and purple, and "Forever Young" from Napoleon Dynamite played (the part when Napoleon and Trisha first get to the dance):

_Let's watch the sky and let's dance for a while  
Heaven can wait. We're only watching the skies._

Sheen took Libby's hand again, and Carl went back in with them. Again, Jimmy was left alone with Cindy.

_Open for the best, but expecting the worst.  
Are you gonna drop the bomb or not?_

"Well," Cindy broke the silence, her eyes on the sky, "How long do you think it'll be before we see Professor Cork Bottles again?" (XD! That's so funny!) Jimmy watched a falling star.

"He'll be back," he said, "but it'll be a while." At any rate, who cared?

_Let us die young, or let us live forever.  
We don't have the power, but we never say never._

Again, they said nothing. Then Jimmy sidled up next to Cindy.

"Hey," he said gently, "You want to dance?" He offered his hand. She smiled.

"Aw, heck," she said, "What else did I come here for?" She gave him her hand and he asked, "Is it okay if we dance...out here?"

"Afraid to be seen with me?" she joked.

"No," he said, "I just...(_'Say it, Jimmy!'_ his inner thoughts yelled, _'Rain check is **now**! SAY IT!_)...like how moonlight...makes you look." Her eyes widened. This time, she couldn't hide her crimson cheeks from him.

"Really?" she asked, pleasantly flustered.

_Sitting in a sand pit, life is a short trip.  
The music's for the sad man._

(I don't remember the rest before the chorus.)

"I know, it's cornball"—Jimmy said sheepishly.

"No, no," Cindy cut across him, "I thought it was sweet...Okay, so it was, but you know what?" She put his hand on his shoulder and they started to dance.

"Coming from you," she finished, "it doesn't sound so lame."

_Forever young  
I want to be forever young._

"Thanks," he said bashfully, not taking his eyes away from her. He'd been smart to ask her to dance where they were; the moonlight settled in blankets on her hair and the outlining of her face, and the stars made her eyes dance in emeralds just as the stars themselves dance in the summer night sky.

_Do you really want to live forever,  
forever, and ever?_

"Wow," he breathed.

"Huh?" Cindy had been admiring the same things about him!

_Forever young  
I want to be forever young._

"Uh," Jimmy faltered, then softened up, "Nothing." They both smiled, then Cindy hugged him, still dancing (except now they're hug-dancing).

_Do you really want to live forever,  
forever young?_ (We'll skip to the last chorus after this.)

Jimmy's face turned bright red at first, but then he smiled and put his arms around her waist. When he remembered how to breathe, he sighed happily. Over his shoulder, Cindy's face was grinning like no one's business. They were each on their own cloud nine. And since Libby was sleeping over, Cindy knew they'd have a LOT to talk about. When the dance finally ended and all five kids climbed back into the hovercar, they were too tired to talk. Carl fell asleep, Libby fell asleep on Sheen's shoulder, and our two leading roles held hands all the way to Cindy's house.

_Forever young  
I want to be forever young  
Do you really want to live forever...young!_

**Author's Review:**  
Don't worry! You'll love the epilogue, too! I promise! Well? What did y'all think of this one? Throughout the story, do you think I gave each character enough dialogue and limelight? What do y'all think? Review, please!


	8. Epilogue:Blue Velvet

Sad news: My family PC has been taken apart (cough–Mom–cough) so we can get a new program to clean it out or whatever. So I'm using my dad's WordPerfect12 writing software! Wooooooooo! Anyway, thanks for your reviews, and thanks for reading along. I love y'all so much!

This chapter is dedicated to Cutie5, a leader in the J/C community. (Throws roses, waves lighter, tips hat in respect) I love you, Britt!

**Epilogue: Blue Velvet**

Jimmy parked the hovercar in his yard, or wherever he usually parks it. Carl said good night to everyone and scampered home to meet his curfew. Sheen said a very sweet good night to Libby as Jimmy walked Cindy to her door. (Libby waited in front of Jimmy's house to let them say good night properly.) When Libby finally walked across the street, it was after Jimmy ran past her, quickly saying "Bye-Libby-See-you-tomorrow!" Then Libby **sprinted** to Cindy's house, where she found her leaning with her back to the door in a state of shock, clutching a small blue velvet bag with a string on it.

"Cindy?" Libby asked, "Did he just do what I think he just did?" Cindy looked at her; her eyes held a cornucopia of emotions: elation, surprise, euphoria, confusion, all were screaming the same thing: Holy crap! I'm in LOVE! What _she_ said was "Thank you, Meredith. I'd like to phone a friend" with a goofy-grin on her face.

"All right, that's it," Libby said as she grabbed Cindy's hand and dragged her inside, upstairs, and to Cindy's room, "You are spilling like you've never spilled before, and you are gonna tell me EVERYTHING, you get me?" Cindy smiled and conceded.

Meanwhile, Jimmy had escaped to the shelter of his bedroom in the highest state of euphoria since after Miss Fowl passed a kidney stone! He had just accomplished the impossible; he had just achieved the inconceivable , reached the unreachable, and instead of _pushing_ the envelope, he tore it up and ground the pieces into the dust! He–

"KISSED YOU?" Libby almost screamed in disbelief, "ARE YOU _SERIOUS_?" Cindy nodded dreamily. (Camera cut) The scene replayed in Jimmy's head as he changed...

_Jimmy led Cindy by the hand to her front porch. He wasn't entirely sure what to say. Cindy's equal awkwardness wasn't helping, either._

"_Well," Jimmy finally broke the silence, "I hope you had fun...even with me." She chuckled nervously. No matter what happened, they'd never forget their underlying rivalry._

"_Aw," she said, "As long as you're here to make trouble, I'll never have a dull moment."_

"_Thanks," he smiled, "I think. And I had fun, too. I didn't know you could dance so nicely."_

"_Thank you," she said graciously, "but sweet-talking me won't keep me from kicking your butt tomorrow."_

"_I rise to your challenge, Vortex," he said. Then he took her hand and added, "By now, I expect nothing less." The way he said it, it sounded very profound to her. No matter what it was, he was the only one that ever really melted her down._

_Now that she'd reached said melting point, she decided that now was good, while they were still alone._

"_Hang on a sec," she said, "I'll be right back." She scurried inside and emerged with something in her left hand._

"_I want you to see this," she said, "before you go." She was holding a small blue velvet bag, the kind you can wear on your neck. The string shortened as Cindy pulled the bag open; Jimmy looked inside and gasped softly._

_There it was, drowning in moonlight, as beautiful and precious as the day he gave it to her; a 137 oysters' worth of searching, his labor of love...Cindy's pearl!_

_In the silence that fell, a lump rose in Jimmy's throat. He tried to swallow it and said, with notable difficulty, "You...you kept it!"_

"_Of course I did," Cindy said quietly as she pulled the string closed, (blinking her tears back) dummy. Did you think I'd forget that day once we went back to normal?"_

"_Well," he admitted, "I was afraid you might." She smiled fondly at him._

"_Aw, Jimmy," she turned to the door but still faced him, "You really are some kind of idiot."_

"_I know," he replied as he leaned against the door, "And for the longest time, I've thought of you as a hostile perfectionist who has it in for me." They both smiled. Jimmy moved next to her, took her hand again, looked in her eyes, and said, "And I wouldn't have you any other way." (Of course, we know he is **lying**–**I** can think of two other ways!)_

_Ever since their island adventure, it is my belief that whenever they fought after that, they knew they didn't completely mean it. This moment was one of them._

_Cindy stared at him in a way she never thought she would._

"_I'm still kicking your butt tomorrow, Nerdtron," she said in a soft voice._

_Obeying the annoying commands of his inner thoughts, Jimmy smiled and said "En garde, mademoiselle" and kissed her!_

Jimmy fell back on his bed. He couldn't believe he'd _kissed_ her! Nor could he believe she'd kept the pearl.

Goddard joined Jimmy on the bed and barked inquisitively.

"Goddard," Jimmy said dreamily, "Life is good. (Then he commanded him) Audio track KC-8." The small music megaphone popped out of Goddard's backside and played "Top of the World" by the Carpenters.

Meanwhile, Cindy and Libby changed into their pajamas. Libby was still freaking out over what Cindy told her, and Cindy was loving every minute of it. She'd already shown her the pearl, and now put it back in a blue box lined with velvet inside. She placed it in with the bag pulled open and locked it with a key she kept taped under the inside of her top dresser drawer.

As she turned out the light and got in her bed, she cast one more wistful look out her window. A falling star fell and she quickly made her wish. Then she turned over grinning, and fell asleep. She knew she'd get her wish in about 10 years...

What she hadn't known was that Jimmy had made the same wish on the same star.

THE END

**Author's Review:**

Yay! Was that a great story or what? Did y'all like it? I loved doing the thing with the pearl! It was so sweet! Aw...Anyway, this is the last story I've got for a little bit, but I'm (sort of) working on one about Alex. It'll be a good one, I hope. And I've still got my songfics going! (Even though some are songs that y'all probably don't know. Hee, hee!) Review! L8R!


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